The Obsidian Tear
by obsessivesyndrome
Summary: A series of oneshots about individual characters.
1. Facet 1: The Real Demon

**AN: Trying out a series of one-shots under a similar theme. **

**Most people write about Naruto's reaction and views to the villagers' ill treatment. How about placing yourself into the shoes of the average bias villager?**

**Disclaimer: I disclam thee. **

**-**

The Obsidian Tear

Facet 1: The Real Demon

Here comes the demon.

Everyday they glare and show him he is unwelcome, show him that Konoha is no place for a demon. They use the only proper way to get rid of the demon. Ex-nins who had fought during the Kyuubi attack are more than willing to aid the villagers' cause. They roughed up the demon pretty badly. They stand amongst the crowd, watching, laughing. Of course they are elated to watch the demon bleed. There will come a day when he has to pay for all of his evil deeds. But for now, the villagers are content to give him a fraction of the sufferings he made the people endure. See how he likes it!

They never did bother to hide their hatred. Why would they do it covertly? They hate him, he caused Konoha so many lives, so much pain. Everyday they see the demon walk down on their roads, with his arms folded behind his head, smiling widely. He was a evil entity, the Kyuubi in a human body. The Kyuubi reincarnation. Those whisker marks on his face are proof! Whatever form the Kyuubi take would be always marked by kitsune whiskers. The Gods branded Kyuubi to make sure others will recognize the demon, to warn mortals to beware of the conniving monster. Everybody who has seen the demon's true form would forever remember it, and recognize it no matter what shape he was taken.

The poor children did not know. Those who have not gone through the Kyuubi attack were ignorant. The Third passed on a law, to keep silent. Failure of such will be punished with their lives. Everyone knows the old man has gone senile. Rumor said that the demon has placed a jutsu on the old man. The old man is deluded. He was once a respected and honorable shinobi. People have doubts now. Age weakened him greatly, surely his old bones must have been aching like the rest of the old folks. They wondered why he did not step down and choose a successor, the powerful and feared copy-nin would be a good choice. Or nins can be rallied and form a search party to comb the countries in search for the rest of the Great Sannin. Wagging tongues disclosed that the demon forced the Third to hold on to the Hokage title. The demon was afraid that he would have difficulty controlling the copy-nin or the Sannins. The demon feared for his demise.

They feared for the safety of their children. After all, their children are attending the academy with that monster! The situation is dire and they demanded for the demon to stop coming to the academy. The monster should be locked up! What was the Hokage thinking when he ordered to sent the demon to school? The Third must be insane when the demon was allowed to be alive! And he had refused the villagers' request! What was he thinking! They were only looking out for the well being of the village and the people! Who will be held responsible when the demon attacks their children?

The Hokage refused to get rid of the demon and prohibited them to warn their children of the danger. But they found a loophole to the degree. They told their children never to associate with the demon. They scolded and beat up their children when they caught them talking or playing with the demon. They rammed into their heads that they are to despise him. Children always followed their parents. Either intentionally or not.

There he was. Huddling in the darkness corner. They were glad to see him covered in bruises and wounds. The local hospital would reject their services, throw him out of the place. But the blasted demon was always healed and unmarked the next day. So they beat him harder. He's at that corner, whimpering, crying. The damn demon was still carrying out his pointless charade. Nobody was fooled. Everyone can see the demon for what he really is. Stop pretending! Why is he there, curled in a fetal position, sobbing? Why is he looking remotely human, not the demon that he really is? No, he is a demon! He's only acting, to make them pity him and mistake him for a normal boy! Don't falter in your blows now! Hit harder, harder! Don't be fooled!

They hear screams in the dead of the night. Bloodcurdling, tortured screams from the demon's house. They were convinced that the demon could not rein in his bloodlust any longer and sate it by luring unwitting passer-bys into his home and torture them in the most grotesque way possible. They say that the floor of the demon's home is littered with body parts and covered with blood. Some even said that the demon collected heads like trophies and nailed the heads on his walls. They didn't mentioned how the screams sounded suspiciously like the demon himself. They didn't admit that a group of them used to break into the demon's house to vandalize the place and did not see any bodies. They only saw empty ramen cups lying haphazardly around the apartment. But somehow the ramen cups turned to body parts and the moss and algae creeping on the walls morphed to blood and entrails. But he is a demon, and the blood, body parts and entrails and all are really there! Only that the Kyuubi performed henge to make them look like innocent ramen cups! Yes that must be it!

The Kyuubi brat is to be hated, alienated from society. If the villagers had their way, the demon would be dead ages ago. But the demon was protected by the Third. So they settled for making the demon brat go through hell.

They didn't notice that through every dark glare, every beating, they had created and molded another demon…

-

**AN: I'm going to do one-shots of different characters going through crappy childhood. I already have a vague idea what the next unfortunate character is going to go through. Any characters that you want me to include? Reviews kudasai! **


	2. Facet 2: Fairy Princess Turned She devil

**AN: Hi. –waves- Why am I here, instead of tending to my ever-growing pile of work? Beats me. Maybe cause I'm in a slightly depressed mood?**

**Anko as a kid seems really different from the adult Anko. Ever wondered why?**

**Warning: Rated M for underage intercourse and child abuse.**

**Disclaimer: On pending request from Kishimoto-sensei. –deadpans- Yes, he's actually willing to sell Naruto to me and now our lawyers are going through legal stuff and agreements together. –deadpans- Hands up those who actually believes me. –silence- Aww, drat.**

**-**

The Obsidian Tear

Facet 2: The Fairy Princess Turned She-devil 

Everyone agreed that Anko-chan was a sweet little girl. She was really shy and bashful, flushing cutely whenever the adults talk to her. She had such loving parents too. Her parents were young lovers, although they were not really well off. They were the typical runaways from the nearby small towns. Her mother was a pretty daughter of a rich merchant, the father a wandering ninja who happened to chance upon the little town. The tale of their meeting was greatly gossiped about by the idle housewives of Konoha. It was their favorite story to tell, the meeting of a fair lady from a rich family and a handsome vagabond nin. It was said that they fell in love at first sight. Their families disapproved of their marriage, and thus they eloped, fleeing to the nearby villages.

The tale was romanticized to the point when the people couldn't tell the different between facts and fiction anymore. But no one minded, in those dreary times of the Great Shinobi Wars, the people are getting downcast and jaded about the whole bloody war. The morale for victory has greatly lessened. Everyone just wanted their loved one back home alive. The tale of the two lovers served as a morale booster for their soldiers and the war-stricken villagers. They like to retell the tale over and over again, because in these fairy tales, the hero will always be triumphant and the villain will always receive his due punishment. Oh, and only the villains get killed. The people on the good side would never go through sufferings and would never die. And the hero is immortal as always, even with multiple wounds and being strained with fatigue. No, the hero lives on forever.

And Anko-chan is the beautiful child of the fabled courageous hero and fair damsel. She was the fairy princess.

Naturally, she was well treated everywhere she goes. Anko-chan knew no pain, sufferings and distress despite living in the times of war.

But everyone knew that good things don't last long.

Anko-chan's mother was one of the many who was killed in the invasion of Konoha. The Stone-nins decimated masses of defenseless civilians, turning the streets into a slaughterhouse. It wasn't the grand execution of a beautiful damsel that everyone described in detail. It was an anti-climax really. The enemy nin was merciful, not the evil fat sadist in the typical tales. One hit from his kunai to her chest and the woman fell down without a noise, she didn't even register any pain, the attack occurred too quickly and before she realized it she was dead.

It was nothing special really, from the grandiose way the villagers ranted to everyone and anyone who was willing to hear, you would have assumed that the woman was an important noble lady, maybe a fair daughter of the Fire Lord or the influential wife of the Hokage. No, she was just one of the many nameless corpses lying on the ground, rotting, waiting for the undertaker to dump the bodies into some random hole to dispose of the dead.

Anko-chan's father lost it. He was already extremely stressed out from the endless fighting. He was tired, weary from killing the innocent, nins who were reluctant to participate in the war only fighting to return home to their families and worse still, the poor villagers who were dragged into the war. He still recalled killing that 7 year old civilian girl, her dark eyes huge and terrified, looking so much like his dear Anko-chan back home. He slit her throat, those huge dark eyes staring with so much fear and confusion. Those eyes haunted his dreams, staring accusingly at him, screaming "Why?" and he didn't know the answer.

The death of his soft-spoken wife, the light in his life, the last support holding on to his sanity, reached him when he got back from a particularly nightmarish battle.

He snapped.

It turns out that even his darling Anko-chan failed to save him when he plunged into the deep depression. He became a wasted man, living off cheap booze to drink away his sorrows. Sometimes Anko-chan was the receiving end off his anger. Of all of the innocent out there, why did his wife had to die? Why wasn't Anko-chan there when the enemy nin was about to kill his dear wife? Didn't Anko-chan promised that none of them would die and they would emerge from the war unharmed? Didn't Anko-chan sworn to protect all her precious people, especially her loving mother? Why didn't Anko-chan died instead of his innocent wife?

All of what ifs and why, questions nobody could answer and even if an answer was given, nothing would ever change.

His wife was dead and he was slowly dying.

Life seemed so surreal.

And when even alcohol could not placate him, he released his anger on his darling Anko-chan. The villagers could vaguely make out the series of events from the din they were making in the house and from Anko-chan's wounds.

He was a violent drunk and being a ninja worsens the situation. Anko-chan was lucky that her father was often too inebriated to strike properly or worse, channel chakra through his punches.

When Anko-chan stared, those wide terrified dark eyes at him, so much like the ones haunting his dreams, he drowned deeper in madness. He would titter meaningless jabber to thin air, went around screaming that he could see his decreased wife, gesturing wildly like a raving lunatic.

The villagers didn't tell the tale of the two lovers anymore. They couldn't. Their handsome hero has fallen, reduced himself to a penniless drunkard hitting his defenseless daughter and degraded himself to a raving lunatic. They all avoided Anko-chan whenever they could. Anko-chan used to be the promising beautiful fairy princess of the courageous hero and his demure damsel. She was a symbol of hope for the villagers, made of untouchable stuff from the fairy tales.

Now she was the forgotten daughter of a madman and his long dead wife.

It was hard for Anko-chan. It seemed only yesterday that she was a revered being, living in a perfect world of sunny skies and fluffy clouds, where lollies grow on trees and the streets were pathed with candy bars, where everyone was nice and friendly, where her loving parents would fuss over a pricked finger or a tummy-ache.

Changes dropped into her life, slapped sharply onto her face, flinging her down to the real imperfect world where the rest of the populace reside.

Only that she was hurled into one of the worst avenue of shitty town.

Welcome to your new fucked-up life. Here are your spanking new shiny keys and don't forget to wipe your feet on the welcome mat before you step in.

Avoided, alone and abused, the three basis of Anko-chan's life.

But things got better, or so she thought.

She met Orochimaru-sama, one of the Legendary Sannins.

She was weeping silently on the roadsides with the rest of the other wretched orphans when he came. He was a sight to behold. A tall, lithe figure with a powerful, purposeful stride. He strode past the rest of the dirty-faced war-torn orphans and paused in front of her.

When Anko-chan gazed up at the stranger, she saw an angel.

His pale wan face smiling softly at her, his long black hair dancing in the breeze, his hand gestured towards her, palm upwards.

Anko-chan took his hand and left with him.

The next day, her father died in an "accident".

Nobody really cared. The villagers were secretly glad to be rid of the lunatic and fabricated a far-fetched tale about being led to the Land of the Dead by his beloved wife. Anko-chan didn't know if she should be grieving or relieved. She settled for the latter. One wouldn't mourn the death of her tormentor.

Orochimaru-sama was now the reason to live. He made her feel wanted, created a meaning to life for Anko-chan and she sworn to serve him in every way she could.

Even if Orochimaru-sama kept a secret laboratory to hold his illegal experiments, she was in no place to question her master, only to be blind to the sick human experimenting she saw, deaf to the terrible screams from that particular door and mute when Hokage-sama questions her about her sensei's activities.

Even if Orochimaru-sama needed her to relieve his adult needs, she would of course be willing to oblige, even if her ten year old body couldn't tolerate her master's violent thrusts, she should be honored that her master would think of her in that way.

Because Orochimaru-sama gave her a purpose in life, made her wanted, needed even.

And because Anko-chan loves him.

So she should be thankful, delighted even, when Orochimaru-sama requested her to warm his bed. She forced herself to enjoy it, because master enjoys it and isn't sex what people in love indulge in?

She loves him.

Then he left.

Orochimaru-sama was furious when he was rejected for the post of the Hokage. Anko-chan believes that he was powerful enough to hold the position, but another man was choosen instead.

Orochimaru-sama caused quite a fit that day. He screamed at her, why was he rejected, he had far more experience and power than that blond dolt. Why did that senile old man rejected him for that dumb blonde instead?

Anko-chan did know the answer to that question, she berated herself of even thinking of such a thing, wasn't she was supposed to be loyal to her master? So she squashed that idea and kept silent.

The next day, master was gone. It seemed that he vanished into thin air, all his possessions were gone, his scrolls, weapons, everything. The only item Orochimaru left behind was a young dark-eyed girl, her.

The girl screamed, there was a terrible pain from her neck. It felt like masses of hot burning huge crawling bugs struggling to escape from her neck. She clawed at her neck, raking at the source of her pain in an attempt to rip a chunk of flesh out.

Orochimaru-sama left a present for her. The cursed seal.

Anko was further alienated from society. She was now the student of a murderous traitor. Everyone, civilians and nins alike, feared her. News of Orochimaru's experiments leaked out to the public and the once respected man was declared as demon spawn. Anko was now the equally devious evil top henchman of that traitorous snake.

Orochimaru had few followers, fewer of those that he actually trusted and passed down his numerous jutsus to.

In fact, Anko was the only one who could perform Orochimaru's signature jutsus.

The public deemed her as a snake, a beautiful but malicious being who enjoys killing. It was rumored that she spread her legs out willingly for any man that strikes her fancy and all the man never lived to see the next sunrise. The stories grew wilder and wilder. She was an incubus who made love to men to feed on them. She holds a vision of an enchanting promiscuous woman but her true form was actually a female she-demon, with sharp protruding incisors and was completely naked with nothing but blue scales clothing her shapely figure.

Anko was initially horrified by the rumors. What's remaining of her meager reputation was going down the drain. But she got over it.

She always does.

She got over her mother's death, her father's loss of sanity and her sensei's betrayal.

Situations don't improve even if one cries endlessly and indulge in self-pity. The only thing left for her to do, is to accept the turn of events and see if she can turn it to her advantage.

She always succeeds in doing that.

She encourages, initiates even, the rumors of her being a she-demon. She dresses like a slut to confirm the rumors. She made a show of extreme bloodlust and acts like a borderline-psychotic. She beds any men willingly, proofs to support her incubus status. The men report to the villagers that she was a Goddess in bed, and transforms into a horrifying but enticing demon-like being under the moonlight.

Of course she was adept at lovemaking. She was tutored on the delicate subject personally by one of the more powerful Sannins since adolescent, wasn't she? And the poor inebriated men didn't need a high level genjutsu to wrap their senses. Fueled by alcohol and the knowledge of those ridiculous gossips, they were already seeing things on their own. Anko just needed to tweak their senses a little and in their eyes, Anko has molded her human shell to become a horrifyingly beautiful incubus to trap them in endless pleasures forever.

People said that Orochimaru was the one to morph the innocent Anko-chan to the bloodthirsty merciless woman she is today.

Anko disagrees.

Orochimaru may have influenced her to a certain extent, but they were the ones who forced her to become what she is today. If she didn't create that vision of a dangerous she-devil in the people's mind, she would have been brutally attacked, killed even by those who hated her sensei. Orochimaru has many enemies and people hated him for disregarding human life in such a manner. They may not be able to take revenge for their dead, but they could attack the snake man's follower, Anko herself.

Anko was very much a practical person.

If she had to forgo her respectful reputation and unassuming image to ensure her safety, she would gladly do it.

And she did.

Anko was not the bloodthirsty, skimpily dressed woman that you see sashaying down the street. She was the insecure little girl who wonders why all her precious people had a bad habit of walking out on her and leaving her alone to pick up all the pieces.

But for now, Anko-chan was the fairy princess turned she-devil. Cause they all made her this way.

**-**

**AN: I neglected my pile of homework to do this fic. Cause my plot bunny kept squealing and hopping around my head and I wanted to shut it up. It figures, whenever I'm free, the bunny's sleeping or dead, whenever I'm busy with assignments and school, the bunny decides to go rabid on me. –grumbles-**

**Reviews Kudasai! **


	3. Facet 3: Trapped in Dreams

**AN: Wow. This one-shot is for Jenna Gordon. Thanks to her I'm actually writing Hinata. I can't believe I'm doing this. But still, yeah, I owe her, so there ya go. **

**Confession time: I actually like Hinata-bashing. –hides cowering while Jenna pummels obsessivesyndrome- But in my defense, I like kibahina! I don't hate Hinata, but I am not a fan… -twiddles fingers- **

**But still, a good writer must be able write what he/she doesn't like or can't relate to! And most importantly, regardless of all opposing factors, he/she must be able to write well! Let this be another step for me towards being a good writer! **

**Disclaimer: Yes, as usual my spelling sucks and I still can't spell "disclaimer" right. I can spell "Naruto" correctly but I don't own so don't sue.**

**-**

Facet 3: Trapped in Dreams 

"Hinata? Are you alright? Is there anything you want to talk about?" Kurenai gave a concerned look, worry clouding in her garnet eyes.

"N..No. I am fine, sensei. Thank you for asking." Hinata gave her sensei a shy smile.

"Okay. But if you have any problems, don't hesitant to speak to me, alright?"

"O..Okay."

Hinata watched her sensei turn around and walk away. She had a little smile on her face, Kurenai-sensei is really a nice person. No one ever really noticed or cared about her before. Her smile faltered. No one, not even Naruto.

There was once in the academy when she heard Sakura complaining to her friends about how her nagging and over-protective parents are driving her up the wall. Hinata wondered why Sakura was unhappy with that. She voiced out that remark, something quite unlike Hinata to do, although she did stuttered and fumbled with the words. But Hinata was curious, she was really perplexed as to why Sakura wasn't happy at her parents' blatant display of concern and affection. Instead Sakura was frustrated and troubled over it and Hinata just couldn't figure out why. The girls at the academy were naturally surprised when Hinata offered her opinion. Hinata was known as the class mouse and was terribly shy especially when it comes to interacting with her peers. It was rare when Hinata voiced out her opinion, so they all kept quiet and gave her silent encouraged looks as they waited for her to finish her sentence.

"A...Ano, Sa...Sakura-chan, w...why are you upset when your parents care so much for you?"

Sakura was caught off guard. She has been fully expecting everyone to sympathize with her plight. Everyone knew how irritating parents can be when they nag at you right?

The girls stared at Hinata.

Hinata decided that keeping quiet was a good idea after all. She was disappointed when Sakura didn't answer her question though.

Her own parents… Hinata unconsciously lowered her head. She could vaguely remember the good times her parents had with her when she was little. But when her mother passed away, her father clammed up. Her father had always been a serious man and the only person to make him smile was his dear wife and little Hina-chan. With her mother's death, the man grew even more somber and engulfed himself in work. When her uncle died, her father grew even more cold and distant. Much to her guilt, Hinata was glad that she was very young when her mother passed away. She was too small to remember the wonderful person her mother was. She could only remember her in her fleeting dreams. The first thing Hinata was drawn to was her voice, her mother's voice was beautiful, like the fragile melody of a shamisen. Hinata never could see her mother's face. It was always in a hazy blur but she could tell that her mother was a beautiful woman, she just knew it. Hinata would always pray everynight before going to sleep that she will dream of her mother. Because her mother made her feel so safe, so protected, like everything is going to be alright and Hinata actually believed it for once. Her mother was like her guardian angel. Every night she dreamed of her, but every time when she was about to hug her, she would be jerked back to reality.

Maybe that's how it was supposed to be. One shouldn't rely on mirages to be their a reason to live. Maybe Hinata should stop delving into delusions and pay more attention to reality. But Hinata discovered that reality doesn't work the way it was supposed to. The "right" things held little merit in the real world and happy endings don't really exist here. The was also no clear line dividing "right" and "wrong" and everything tend to be in patches of grey. Those patches of grey made her steps falter everyday. The things that she was doing... Is it right? It was to protect her village and her precious people, so it is the right thing to do! But it is right to do this, to injure the opponent, to kill? Does her reasons justify her actions? Is her reason enough to justify a murder? Hinata decided that she doesn't really want to think about it and she prefered her fantasy world of her beautiful mother and sunny skies.

The people around her… Do they really think that she was not able to overhear their gossiping? She already knew! She knew that she was weaker than Hanabi, lacked the sterness and the firm resolution to lead the clan and was overall a failure. She had known it all along. Do they had to spit it out to her face? She was already willing to step down without any fuss to let Hanabi lead! She was fine with being the failed daughter in her father's eyes. Why do they have to rub it in?

She never did cared for the power to lead the clan. Is it asking for too much to have her father look at her and be proud of her? Is it too much to ask for her clan elders' acceptance of who and what she was?

Althought it does hurt her pride when her own sister, five years her junior, has long surpassed her. She couldn't stop a little resentment for Hanabi. But it's not her sister's fault. If Hinata was to be clan head, Hanabi would be sent to the branch clan and be banded with that horrible mark. Hanabi was only looking out for her own future. Too bad that Hinata just happened to be in the way, right?

In the end, Hinata can't bring herself to hate Hanabi. She can't bring herself to hate anybody for that matter. Because of those patches of grey. No one was completely evil or wrong. It may be a twisted, distorted version of "right", but it is still good intentions, wasn't it? What is so wrong about good intentions? And maybe that horrid ending wasn't what they really wanted from the beginning, right?

Everyone has their own problems and hurdles. Hinata had hers. It is a matter of how they deal with those problems and it was by a stroke of fortune for the Hyuuga clan that Hinata wasn't those self-acclaimed righteous types who solve their problems by getting rid of the obstacles. No, Hinata wasn't like Uchiha Itachi who murdered his whole clan. She couldn't truthfully say that compared to Itachi, she was dealing any better with the problem. What was productive about ignoring her problems for the beautiful world of delusions? She did have guilty dreams of decimating her clan Itachi-style and only leaving Hanabi alive. Those delicious words from her mouth, " Foolish little sister, if you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me, run run and cling to life, and survive in an unsightly way." And then she wakes up sweating, exhilarated by the fear in Hanabi's eyes and her father and her clan's murder. Of course after that ordeal, she spend hours in a secluded corner, her body curled in a tight ball, rocking to and fro and hysterically berated herself. How can she even think about resorting to murder? But why does the satisfaction of taking of their lives seemed so real?

She stopped herself from analyzing it too much. Thinking was dangerous. Who knows what she would conclude? It was better to ignore truth and live in blissful ignorance. After all, the truth never sets anyone free. Those were only the delirious mutterings from a madman.

Kurenai-sensei? She was a nice person and constantly looks out for Hinata. But even if she told Kurenai about everything, can she really help her? She is only able to offer meaningless words of comfort and advice which still won't do much to improve her situation. Kurenai-sensei can only do this much.

This is what Hinata concluded as she watch her sensei's figure walking away. Seeing that there is nothing more to do, she turned away and walked off to the direction of the Hyuuga district.

As she approaches those huge intimidating houses, she had a vision of them splattered with noble Hyuuga blood and the silent terrified scream of her dear father. Eyes widening, she cringed and harshly chided herself. All this while the servants bowed and opened up the huge main gate of the main house for their young mistress to pass.

And no one ever suspected their mild mannered Hinata-chan of harboring such ill intentions.

-end-

**AN: Yes. I think I did a good job. Note that Hinata contradicts herself pretty often. I think that she is an avoidant for a long time even in the canon. I like the idea of Hinata doing an Itachi. **

**Crack definition: The term, doing an Itachi refers to killing off your entire clan, only leaving your younger sibling alive, instructing them to kill you, detest you, run run and cling to life, and survive in an unsightly way.**

**Do you love me now, Jenna? Yes, I know you do XD**

**Btw, Jenna was the one who suggested for Hinata to be a ticking time bomb. If you get the reference.**

**Aw man, I think I'm feeling sorry for Hinata… Shit, gotta go read a good bashing fic to convert myself back… **

**-Jenna hits obsessivesyndrome mercilessly with her stick-**

**Okay, stop! I was just pulling your leg! **

**-Jenna huffs and stalks off, leaving obessivesyndrome wailing "But I thought you wuv me!!!"-**

**Reviews kudasai! **


End file.
